TENNIS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19628, 24 October 1933, Page 4

TENNIS

ENGLISHMEN PROVIDE RARE TREAT NEW ZEALANDERS BEATEN By TelegraDh—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, October 23. Tennis of a quality seen very rarely in New Zealand was witnessed by a large gallery which sa " the test match between the English touring players and a New Zealand side to-day. Against players of world class, the New Zealanders rose to the occasion and each of the four matches was well contested. It was in the fifth match, however, that the home side scored its only triumph when Malfroy and France, to the great delight of the spectators, beat Perry and Lee. Results:— Singles. F. J. Perry (England) beat C. E. Malfroy (New Zealand), 6-3, 6-3. H. G. N. Lee (England) beat D. G. France (New Zealand), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. F. H. D. Wilde (England) beat C. Angas (New Zealand), 6-4, 9-4. Doubles. F. J. Perry and F. H. D. Wilde (England) beat C. E. Malfroy and C. Angas (New Zealand), 6-3, 7-5. C. E..Malfroy and D. G. France (New Zealand) beat F. J. Perry and H. G. N. Lee (England), 6-4, 6-4. None of the visitors was extended to win the singles with the exception of the English captain, Lee, who dropped the middle set of his match with France. Previously Wilde, the promising young English player, had beaten Angas, Canterbury and a former New Zealand champion, very decisively, and Perry, although a little more subdued than in his game with Turnbull on Saturday, had outplayed Malfroy in a match that produced some very fine tennis. In all of the three matches in which he took part Malfroy’s game bore the imprint of overseas experience, and he was neither over-awed by the strength of the opposition nor afraid to take the initiative in imposing his game on those of his opponents. A Masterly Game. Again the keenest interest was taken in the appearance of Perry. He played a masterly game against Malfroy, serving finely and making openings in the court with a withering barrage of forehand drives to either comer. Perry directed his attack impartially to either side of the court. Occasionally he sent over almost incredibly fast forehand drives. Perry's volleying was again brilliant and the few lobs Malfroy gave him, even though reasonably deep in the court, he slew utterly with devastating smashes. Malfroy’s game compared reasonably with that of the great English player. He served magnificently throughout and following his deliveries to the net volleyed and smashed very effectively. He was no less active than the long limbed Englishman in covering the court and both players repeatedly earned applause for fine recoveries. Malfroy, however, could not exchange drives with Perry on even terms, and it was the severity of the latter's ground strokes, backhand as well as forehand, that made the difference between the two players. France Rises to the Occasion. Don France, the seasoned Wellington campaigner, invariably plays his best in good company, and to-day’s match must have been one of the finest exhibitions of his career. He had to work hard for the set he won, however, and he had nothing in r for the final set. Lee’s tactics were simple. He would send a fast and very deep forehand drive into France’s forehand corner and then angle the return short across to the backhand sideline. The result was that France spent a considerable portion of the game in running diagonally backwards and forwards across the court. On his service games the Wellington man was usually able to hold his own. He mixed pace and spin very effectively and took every opportunity to advance to the net where he volleyed cleanly for placements time and time again. Lee had replies in raking sideline passing shots and low dipping cross couit drives. In the third set, when France was very tired, Lee found gbps down the lines almost at will, and frequently stood in to take the service on the rise and hit clean aces into France's forehand comer. Angas Disappoints. Angas’s display against Wilde was extremely disappointing and he showed nothing like the form he produced m the exhibition match with the visitors at Timaru. His failure could be explained only by nervousness. When he did not net ground strokes they were seldom pitched more than halfway up the court and Wilde, standing in to take the ball on the rise, was able to sweep crisp drives to the sidelines. The Englishman's ground strokes, good as they were, were but a means to ar. end. At every opportunity he advanced to the net from which position he dominated the play with a dazzling repertoire of volleys and overhead strokes. The Canterbury man was indefatigable in retrieving but his fine returns of difficult shots seldom more than delayed the loss of a point. Lack of Combination. When Malfroy and Angas took the court against Perry and Lee it was the first time that they had played together in an important match. They suffered irom lack of combination, but performed very well against a pair jf extremely skilful doubles players. They were faced with a much more difficult task than that presented to Malfroy and France in the second doubles, for Wilde, on his displays in Christchurch, must be considered a better exponent of the doubles game than Lee. Perry was the dominating player of the four, his thrustful ground strokes, brilliant low volleying and spectacular smashing forcing the New Zealanders constantly into a defensive role. Wilde's game was less dynamic but he did everything with a quiet and polished efficiency that stamped him as a doubles player of genius. Guarding the left hand court his beautifully produced net skimming backhand shots were no less effective in creating openings than Perry's forehand on the right. He stood well in to take even Malfroy's severe services and his shots were so perfectly controlled that th ■ New Zealanders almost invariably had to half-volley or volley upwards, pre- | senting one or other of the Englisn- | men stationed right on top of the net | with an opportunity for a kill. A Meritorious Win. I Malfroy and France impressed at once as a much happier combination, i They had had considerable experience | together in Wellington and are the j former holders of the New Zealand i doubles championship. Their win was I a very meritorious one, but their tasst j was made much easier by the unconI vincing form of Lee. The English cauI lain made many fine shots with severe I ground strokes but had not the polish |in volleying and overhead that had i marked Wilde's display. The New | Zealanders presented an Impenetrable | defence at the net and outplayed the ] Englishmen in fast volleying ex-

changes. Malfroy served with undiminished speed and volleyed and smashed superbly, but some of the edge appeared to have gone from Perry's game, and he made mistakes in volleying and overhead that were unusual for him.

AUSTRALIANS AT . DUNEDIN

A DELIGHTFUL DISPLAY. By Telegraph-Pr*** AaeoetaflOD DUNEDIN, October 23. Probably no better tennis has ever been seen in Dunedin that the series of exhibition matches in which the Australian Davis Cup players, A. K. Quist and D. P. Turnbull, to-day revealed some of the finer points of the game before a crowd of about 500 spectators. The weather was perfect and though the New Zealand players were rather overwhelmed the matches were greatly enjoyed. A special feature of the afternoon was the one set exhibition singles which the two Australians obligingly consented to play after the doubles. They gave a delightful display of serving, slashing and volleying that called forth the highest admiration and as neither was able to break through the other’s service, a halt was called with the score at 7 all. The results of the matches were as follows: Singles. D. P. Turnbull beat G. A. Pearce, 6-1, 6 'a. K. Quist beat N. R. C. Wilson, 6-0, 4-6, 6-1. Doubles. Turnbull and Quist beat Wilson and Pearce, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. In the opening singles Pearce, who appeared to be nervous, failed to settle down in the first set, and could not find his length. Turnbull ran to n lead of 5-0 and then a long deuce game followed which finally went to Pearce, but the Australian took the next for the set. The local man showed more confidence in the second set and reached 2 all, but Turnbull forced the pace and led 5-2. The next two games, however, went to Pearce, but Turnbull took the tenth from 40-30 to win the match. In his match against Quist, Wilson began as disastrously as Pearce and dropped the first set to love, but he made a splendid showing in the second and with both men fully extended, some sparkling tennis was provided. Wilson broke through Quist’s service to lead 2-1 and again 4-2 and 5-2. Quist made it 5-4, but the next game gave the Wellington man the set. The youthful Australian showed great severity in the third set in which he lost on’y one game. The doubles game was much move spectacular than the singles, and there were some magnificent exchanges in which the ball flashed from racquet so racquet at incredible speed. Wilson gave a fine display in this match and was well supported by Pearce, but the Australians naturally had the better understanding and always seemed to have the game well under control. They dropped the second set after a splendid fight but were irresistible in the next two when they entrenched themselves at the net. Turnbull and Quist leave for Oanaru to-morrow where they will meet Angas and France. WAI-ITI CLUB MITCHELL CUP COMPETITION. Tire annual competition for the Mitchell Cup was held on Saturday. In the semi-finals Miss N. Sullivan and P. Bridges beat Miss T. Mclntosh and Cameron and Miss M. Young and M. Lawrence beat Miss O. Davey and A. Low. In the final Miss N. Sullivan and P. Bridges beat Miss M. Young and M. Lawrence, and hold the cup for the 1933-34 season. The conditions of the competition were: —Draw for partners, sealed handicap. and each game to occupy 15 minutes, S. Sullivan and T. Morrison challenged N. A. Moore and A. N. Leslie for the men’s championship buttons and proved far too strong for the holders. The score was 9-4. Morrison is a young player, who. under the tutorship of S. Sullivan, should go a tong way in tennis. His overhead and net work arc particularly good Bridges and Cameron and Holmes are also , promising young players, but as yet they lack concentration and play in too desultory a fashion.